Puella Magi Haruka Magica
by Tiberii
Summary: The world of Puella Magi... A world where wishes for happiness and curses that bring despair go hand in hand. In this world, two Magical Girls are locked in an endless battle, cursed by their own wishes. This is their story, as well as the one of those who ended up in the crossfire. Unofficial spin - off featuring an almost exclusively original cast.
1. Episode 1: From Above

**Welcome to the world of Puella Magi... A world, where simple wishes for happiness can have the gravest of consequences. There are no heroes here, just unfortunate youths trying to defeat their own despair...**

 **I have been a fan of this series for a long time, and have now decided to create my own inofficial spin – off. This story is entirely original, but set in the world of Puella Magi and loosely ties in to the narrative of Madoka Magica at several points.**

* * *

 **Episode 1: From Above**

Kamisaki, a city far to the north of Mitakihara and Kazamino...

Two girls, wielding the power of magic, were fighting on the rooftops, painted red by the setting sun. One clad in a warrior's attire, the other covered in the black robes of an assassin, they struggled against each other, unseen by the people below.

The armoured girl charged with her blade, her long, silky black hair flying upwards as the wind rushed past. The dark one blocked the blow with the chain binding her two sickles together. "You never change, do you, Haruka?" The armoured one smirked as she kicked her opponent in the abdomen. "Don't you think that, after all the times you tried to take my head, it would be best to admit defeat and walk away?" The girl in black flew back towards the edge of the roof, stopping right before the gaping abyss. "Bitch...", she spat out, "You know exactly why I won't stop, can't stop... Hime..." Unsteadily getting back on her feet, she prepared for the next strike to hit her. She had fought Hime often enough to know she would not let her take any breaks. However, instead of attacking, her enemy turned around. Mockingly, she said: "Give it up. This fight is pointless. Why should I waste valuable energy on someone like you?" That was it! Haruka jumped at her, preparing to slice her head clean off. Hime stepped aside and slashed at her face, cutting up the cloth covering it and leaving a deep gash in her cheek. The remaining momentum from her attack threw Haruka off the roof.

* * *

"Hey, Hyun – chan! Hyuuuun – chan!" Chol Hyun, second year from Kamisaki High, woke up at a table at KFC. "Seriously, why do you always have to doze off like that?" Her friend, Himura Nanako , was sitting next to her, looking annoyed. "S – sorry... I had work till 11 pm yesterday." Nanako sighed. "If only your dad could keep a job for once..." "You know it's not easy for Koreans to find work here, Nanacchi. Let alone keep it.", Hyun complained. Nanako laughed. "Hah, am I glad I don't have such problems... By the way, can I borrow your math notes?" "Tsk... no work morals. Disgraceful...", Hyun scolded her. "Oh, shut up. Ugh! School is such a pain in the ass! We're only young once, you know?" Why was Nanako always this carefree... but in a way, Hyun envied her. Since she was thirteen, she had been working every day of the week, delivering newspapers, as a waitress in a restaurant or at the movie theater. Of course, people like Nanako couldn't understand how hard it was being a foreigner in Japan, especially a poor one. Still, Hyun was glad she had someone to talk to.

After they had moved from Kitakyushu to Kamisaki and Hyun transfered to her new school, no one wanted to have anything to do with her. A dirty foreigner. A barbarian. They never said that out loud, but it was clear they thought that way. Nanako... Hyun didn't know whether it was pity or curious exoticism, but one day, that girl just started talking to her. It was quite the strange experience for her, being welcomed by someone, but it felt... good. They started walking to – and from school together. Some of their classmates did certainly talk behind Nanako's back about her for this, but she didn't mind. Truly, this girl was too kind...

"It's getting late", Nanako said, looking at her smartphone. "We should go home. You've got to work in an hour, don't you?" "Shit!" Hyun jumped up. "You're right! Sorry, Nanacchi! Could you...?" "Yeah, yeah. I'll pay for your hotwings!", she answered, smiling. "Thank you! See you tomorrow!" Hyun ran off and down the escalators. Just as she opened the doors leading outside...

...A person hit the ground.

Hyun was in shock. What just happened? That person before her, lying on the ground, her blood slowly forming a puddle underneath her contorted and broken body... Her face... Everything went black.

* * *

Hyun awoke screaming and sweating heavily. Was it... all just a dream? She quickly calmed down and looked at the clock, which immediately made her panick again: She was late for school! She quickly brushed her teeth and put on her uniform. Rushing past her father, who was sleeping on the sofa, she slowed down for a moment, then picked up his blanket from the floor and put it back over his body.

Halfway to school, she caught up with Nanako. "Geez, Hyun – chan! You know how long I waited in front of your door?" "Sorry, Nanacchi... I didn't sleep that well last night.", Hyun apologized. "Yeah. I mean, I would've understood if you didn't come to school at all today, after passing out last evening." Hyun was confused. "Wait, what happened?" "You passed out in front of the mall, probably from exhaustion. I brought you home with the help of Kyoji – kun." Hyun awkwardly smiled. "T – thanks..." "You still don't look good. Are you sure you want to come to school?" "It's fine, Nanako. Besides, we have a math test today, haven't we..."

* * *

Hyun and Nanako were sitting at their desk at the back of the classroom and chatting until Miss Toriyama came in. "My dear students, even though I promised you the wonderful opportunity to prove your knowledge about analytical geometry today, the test will sadly have to be postponed until next week, as I lost it in a hard drive crash." Nanako looked relieved. "Also, We have a new friend joining us today. Come in, Nakajima – san." A Girl with short, black hair entered the classroom. Her face had strange features Hyun had only seen once before... but... where? Where had she seen -

It wasn't a dream. In front of the blackboard, without a doubt, stood the girl who should have died less than 24 hours ago.

Hyun couldn't help but stare at her, which luckily wasn't bothering anyone, given the situation. "My name is Nakajima Haruka. Pleased to meet you." As she was saying this, her eyes slowly wandered towards Hyun, who tried to hide her face behind her textbook as soon as she noticed.

* * *

After class, a lot of students flocked around Haruka. "Nakajima – san, your skin is so smooth! What's your secret?" "You look beautiful, but, and don't misunderstand me, some of your features..." "My mother was an Ainu.", she answered. "If you've got a problem with that..." "No, no! I'm really interested in that kind of stuff!"

Hyun didn't feel comfortable approaching Haruka, with all these people surrounding her. They may as well have been a concrete wall for a social outcast like her. But she would definitely confront that girl about what happened the day before.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I must leave early today. My transfer was very spontaneous and my family still has to unpack things." Haruka stood up and proceeded to walk towards the door in the back of the class. Passing by Hyun, she slipped her a piece of paper before quickly leaving. "Meet me by the big tree in the park as soon as you can", it said.

* * *

Nakajima Haruka kept true to her word. She indeed sat on a bench under the large, old Oak tree that stood in the center of Kamisaki Park. Hyun sat down next to her, highly nervous, but eager to get some answers. "So, why did you call me here?", she asked. Haruka didn't even bother to turn her head to face Hyun. "I wanted to apologize. I should have helped you when you passed out yesterday." "Sorry?", Hyun asked in unbelief. "What is there to apologize for? I thought you were dead!" "I don't know what you saw", Haruka said, "but I merely tripped. I was in a hurry, so I selfishly ran and left you lying on the ground. I'm sorry for that." Hyun got angry "Are you trying to fuck with me!? I know I saw you bleeding out there!" "What are you talking about?" Hyun sighed. "Maybe... yeah, sorry, I said something weird there. I was overworked and... probably just imagining things." She got up, and started heading back in the direction of the school. "By the way... Why did you call me outside like this?" Haruka stayed silent for a moment, then answered: "I am quite perceptive when it comes to people. You wouldn't have been able to talk to me with our classmates around, would you?" That hit the spot exactly. This girl... she completely saw through her. Hyun could do nothing but awkwardly stare at her, until she shook her head. "If you don't have anything else to say, I would like to go and continue unpacking now." "Yeah, sorry. Go ahead, Nakajima – san..."

* * *

Haruka slowly ascended the stairs of the old car park at the western edge of the city. She had never had such a hard time moving to any other city. If that other Magical Girl hadn't been there... things might have gotten really ugly. "Are you going out to hunt again tonight?" Kyubey appeared from the shadows. "No, not really. I will probably just scout out the area for the time being. Besides, if any witches show up, I'm sure this city's Magical Girl can handle them." On the second highest platform, one could see the entire city, the blue of the sky reflecting on the glass walls of the highrise buildings. "...There's one more thing, Incubator. There is a girl at the local high school... Chol Hyun. She has a lot of problems... A good candidate, perhaps?" "Certainly. I have had my eyes set on her for quite a while, but if we had formed a contract, I could not have known how the other Magical Girl would have reacted, and I don't want to waste potential energy sources because they kill each other." "Typical of you", Haruka mocked him, "You don't get us humans at all. There's no way those two would fight over something as petty as grief seeds." "Are you the right one to judge that, Nakajima Haruka? After all, you never had the problems normal Magical Girls do." Haruka leaned against a concrete pillar and took out her Soul Gem. "My soul..."

"...it is black."

* * *

Hyun sighed. Nanako had gone home early, so she didn't have anything to do in her one precious hour of free time before work. Going home... wasn't really an option, so she just kept wandering the streets aimlessly, looking at wonderful luxuries on store shelves she could never hope to afford.

...really, it was unjust.

Others never as much as moved a finger and were showered with affection and gifts, while she was stuck with an unemployed drunkard who barely scraped by with the money of her hard labor. And he didn't even care when she collapsed from the strain that put on her. Maybe she should just...

Absentmindedly, Hyun had wandered into a narrow alley. "He should rot...", she mumbled to herself, not noticing her surroundings warp and contort into a strange, hellish landscape of combs and scissors.

 _Er spielt mit den Schlangen! Er spielt mit den Schlangen!_

Hyun was ripped out of her thoughts by a... a walking toupée stomping on her foot as it passed by. What was this? What was happening to her?

 _Dein goldenes Haar! Dein goldenes Haar!_

In the distance, a gigantic mannequin head towered over the comb trees. Its long, blonde hair moved unnaturally, as if it was alive.

 _Margarete! Margarete! Dein goldenes Haar Margarete!_

Hyun tried to get away, slowly walking backwards. However, she soon found she was surrounded by an army of toupées.

 _Dein goldenes Haar! Dein aschenes Haar!_

"No... stay away! Stay awaaaaay!"

 _Sulamith! Sulamith!_

The toupées were closing in on her, scarred, dirty hands emerging from their hairy bodies, yearning to grab her.

 _Dein aschenes Haar! Sulamith! Sulamith! Dein aschenes Haar Sulamith!_

The mannequin's hair separated itself from the head, like a queen standing up from her throne. The Queen of Hair...

 _Der Tod! Der Tod!_

A thousand tiny, but nevertheless strong hands gripped onto Hyun's legs and the toupées started to climb up her body. "No! Nooo!"

 _Der Tod ist ein Meister! Der Tod ist ein Meister aus -_

A halberd made of glimmering silver tore Hyun's hairy assailants to shreds. "Da hell I'm gonna let something like that happen on my watch!" A strange girl in something resembling a gothic lolita dress rushed past her, grabbed the halberd and, like a lightning bolt, struck the Queen of Hair. The monster growled and sent strands of her hair after the girl as if they were tentacles. Continuously flying upwards as if it wasn't anything special, the girl blocked all attempted strikes with the blade of her halberd, until she reached a certain height, from which she shot down at full speed, cutting the beast in half. From one moment to the next, the two of them stood in a normal alley once again.

The strange girl stood with her back turned towards Hyun. "Th – thank you...", she stuttered, still unsure what had just happened. "No need for thanks. It's my job to help people out." Her saviour's voice sounded familiar. "Wait... Nanacchi!?" The girl laughed. "Right on your money, Hyun – chan." A strange, cat – like being appeared from the shadows. "What you just witnessed was a fight between a Witch and a Magical Girl." The thing could talk! Hyun was thoroughly confused by everything that had happened. "What's going on, Nanacchi? What is this creature? Witches? Magical Girls?" Nanako sighed. "I guess I've got a lot of explaining ahead of me..."

* * *

The horizon once again began to redden and dusk was approaching when Haruka returned to her hideout. After pulling a bottle of sake out of the bag she kept her belongings in, she let herself fall onto the dirty matress that served as her bed. After a while, Kyubey returned and curled up beside her. "Well, any luck on your front, Incubator?", she asked. "Not yet. I only just contacted Chol Hyun for the first time, and not in a situation that required quick action on her part. Some girls need time to be persuaded, you know." Haruka looked up at the gray ceiling. "I hadn't had any luck, either. No trace of Hime anywhere I looked." "That's unfortunate... How long has it been now, exactly?", Kyubey asked. "..."

"...Too long..."

 **To be continued**

* * *

 **The first "episode" has reached its conclusion. Why is Haruka so fixated on this "Hime"? How does she know Kyuubey's true identity? Why does she work with him regardless? What is special about her Soul Gem? Will Hyun become a Magical Girl? A thousand questions have emerged, and another thousand are yet to be asked, as well as a thousand answers to be given. So "tune in" next time for another episode of Puella Magi Haruka Magica!**


	2. Episode 2: Father

**Thanks to Jafs for advising me on better writing technique. From now on, the actions of characters will be separated by paragraphs to avoid confusion. The first episode will likely be edited to reflect this structural change... eventually... if I get around to it...**

* * *

 **Episode 2: Father...**

After school, Hyun followed Nanako home. Her room was messy and disorganized. Really, Hyun didn't like coming here, but they needed some privacy today.

After they sat down on Nanako's bed, she began to explain. "Where to start..." Nanako took a deep breath. "That thing that attacked you... that is called a 'Witch'."

"A Witch?", Hyun asked.

"That's right. They are forces of evil that hide from the eyes of normal humans in magical labyrinths. They spread curses and cause death and destruction."

Hyun was horrified. "And... and you fight such things every night?"

"Well..." Nanako blushed. "I don't really wanna boast too much, but you're sitting in front of the number one Witch huntress in all of Kamisaki!"

"I beg to differ." The little white cat thing was sitting next to Hyun. When had it come in? "You are no longer the only Magical Girl in this city. Not only did two of the most powerful and experienced Magical Girls in the world come here a few days ago, but this morning, another girl has formed a contract with me."

"You... What are you? Why can you talk?", Hyun asked.

Nanako was quick to answer: "This is Kyubey. He's the one who turns girls 'magical'. He's also there to support us..." She got up close to Hyun and whispered in her ear. "...But most of the time, he's just a pest."

"Anyway", Kyubey continued to explain, "In exchange for their service of hunting Witches, the girls that become Magical Girls get one wish granted. Besides talent and experience, that wish also plays a major role in what type of magic they specialize in. For example, if you wished for someone's crippled arm to be healed, you would become a master of healing magic and your wounds would heal significantly faster than those of normal humans."

"Then", Hyun asked, "Is that why Nakajima – san didn't die when she fell from the roof of the mall?"

Nanako sighed. "There's really no way to fool you, is there... Yeah, Nakajima's a Magical Girl, too. She was really lucky I was around back then. You see, your average Joe doesn't know about Witches 'n magic 'n stuff. It would cause confusion worldwide if a girl fell off a building and recovered from a broken neck within seconds. They would've taken her to a lab or somethin' if I hadn't intervened."

Hyun was relieved. "So I'm not going crazy... But why? Why did you lie to me yesterday?"

Kyubey jumped over to the other bed. It belonged to Nanako's twin sister, who was in the hospital right now. "Revealing the existence of Magical Girls to outsiders is usually strictly against the rules. In fact, the very act of explaining all this to you is what is commonly called 'damage control' You can imagine how the broader public would react to something like this, can't you? So we can't have you going around telling everyone."

Hyun quietly nodded. "Say, Kyubey... That thing about a wish... If I became a Magical Girl, would you really grant me any wish I wanted?"

Kyubey scratched behind his ear. "Well, it depends on your magical potential. You couldn't wish to become some kind of God, for example. You simply don't have enough potential for that. However, if it was something like 'Let my father find a job', that would be not only possible, but rather easy, actually." He stared at her with his unchanging, piercing red eyes. "Chol Hyun..."

"Would you like to form a contract with me and become a Magical Girl?"

* * *

Late in the evening, as the street lamps casting their dim light on the sidewalks, Haruka was approaching a rather shady looking bar. A known hideout of the Yakuza, feared and respected. And always up to date on what was happening in their territory.

As she opened the door, a cloud of cigarette smoke burst out. Six men in total were inside: The barkeeper and five customers. They all had Kitsunes tattooed on their necks, probably a sign of the local clan.

She sat down next to a very muscular, bald man.

The barkeeper saw her in the corner of his eye and started talking to her, continuing to clean the glasses next to him all the while. "Ain't ya... a little young to be drinkin'?"

Haruka shook her head. "I'm older than I look. Besides, that's not what I'm here for."

The man next to her put his hand on her shoulder. "Ya new in town? The Tayama – gumi ain't info brokers. That's wat'cha here for, ain't it? Get out, li'l girl. We wouldn't want'cha to get hurt."

Haruka sighed and mumbled to herself.

"What'd ya say?", the man next to her asked.

"The hard way!" Haruka grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the back wall.

"Oi, bad decision!" The other men drew their guns. They likely thought they were safe here, as all they had was simple handguns. They opened fire, but Haruka was completely unfazed. Bullets were easy to dodge, and if they hit, it wasn't like they could kill her...

Like a lightning, she took out the four remaining men one after another: She surprised the first one with a strike to his neck, knocking him out instantly. As the second one tried to shoot her, she kicked the gun out of his hand and punched him in the gut so hard he had to throw up. The third one struggled for a bit, trying to buy the fourth one time to shoot her, but she got the upper hand and threw him at his friend.

The only ones standing now were Haruka and the barkeeper, who was holding his hands high above his head. "P-please, ane – san! I'll give you what you want!"

Haruka smiled "That's what I like to hear..." She sat back down on her chair. "Give me any infos you have on transfer students, going back the entire last month."

"Y-yes, ane – san!" He went to a back room. After a few minutes, he returned with a file folder full of documents. "Here. That's the one for the last four years, but the last month is at the top."

"Thank you." Haruka took out the first document. Finding Hime was easy: Only two new students had transfered to schools in Kamisaki over the course of the last month, and she was one of them. "Kusabe Hime... Menshikov High? What the hell is that!?"

"T-that's a private school at the outskirts of town", the barkeeper told her. "It's some kind of prestigious school founded by some russian guy that moved here twelve years ago."

Haruka got up and started walking towards the exit. "Well, now I know where to look. Until next time, shatei..."

* * *

Hyun took a look at her smartphone. "11:30 pm..." She was completely exhausted. Her boss was an asshole. Decided to randomly stay open a bit longer, just for shits and giggles...

It was almost midnight when she arrived at the door to their apartment. She could faintly smell the horrible stench of alcohol even on the outside. Her father... had been drinking again, hadn't he? Hyun braced for impact and opened the door.

"You're late!", her father shouted. He was sitting on the couch, a bottle of sake stood next to him on the floor.

"Sorry, my boss made me work overtime." Hyun had a bad feeling. Her father normally didn't care whether she was late or not.

"Don't gimme that shit, li'l brat. You were tryin to leave me, weren't you!?" He unsteadily got up and started staggering towards her.

Hyun retreated backwards. "No... No, not again!" She fell to the ground as her father's fist hit her cheek at full speed.

The beating was short, but painful. Why? Why was her father like this? Hyun couldn't understand it at all. Even though she tried so hard to keep them both afloat, even though she only wanted him to be happy, he still beat her, over and over and over again. "I can't take it anymore! Make it stop! Make it stop..." Lying down on her bed, she burst into tears.

"If you want to make it stop, you know a way, Chol Hyun." Kyubey had appeared on her windowsill. "You just need to form a contract with me and become a Magical Girl."

Hyun wiped her eyes. He was right: If she continued like this, nothing would ever change. Perhaps... "Kyubey?"

"Yes?", he asked.

"I'm going to do it. I will... I will form a contract with you!"

"Very well!" He jumped down from the windowsill onto her bed. "Tell me, then: What is the wish you are willing to trade your soul for?"

Hyun took a deep breath. "Let my father find a job he is happy with and with which he can support us."

"Alright then. Your wish shall be granted." Kyubey's ears extended towards Hyun, as if they were arms. A searing pain welled up in her chest as it began to glow. Out of it emerged a clear, turqoise gem. "Now", Kyubey said, "Take your new destiny into your hands." Hyun reached for the gem and tightly gripped onto it.

"This is... my destiny..."

* * *

As the sun was rising and painted the city red, Haruka was analyzing her target: Tanba Bank, a local bank with HQ in Kamisaki. If she wanted to get up close to Hime, she needed a lot of money...

"Anything new on your front?" Kyubey once again appeared beside her.

"Yes.", she answered. "I know where Hime is now. However, reaching her may be rather hard..."

Kyubey jumped on her matress and walked in circles. "Well, you should know that the girl you recommended to me has formed a contract. You plan to get her on your side, don't you?"

"Right. And this time, I'll make sure she doesn't betray me... like the last one..." Haruka took out her Soul Gem and held it into the rays of the rising sun. "My soul..."

"...It is black..."

 **To be continued**

* * *

 **This concludes episode 2. The plans have reached episode 9 already. There will likely be a pause between episodes 3 and 4, because Finals are coming up at my school (German school system... hard to convey to foreigners.)**


	3. Episode 3: Entry Fee

**Episode 3: Entry Fee**

Hyun's heart was pumping at incredible speed. The last time she had entered a Witch's labyrinth, it had been as a would-be victim. She wasn't quite sure how hard it would get, but Nanako had told her to just "let it flow".

The Witch was large and round in shape, with a myriad of long, skeletal arms stretching out from holes in her body. As Hyun tried to get closer, she was grabbed from below. "Wha- let go!" Pale white hands were holding her legs. One after another, skeletons, some still with chunks of rotten flesh left dangling from their bones, rose out of the ground and started to close in on her.

"Geez, Hyun! You had like 500 opportunities to break free and squandered them all!" Nanako's halberd flew past and shattered apart the hands that were holding Hyun into tiny fragments. "HALT!", Nanako shouted, and the skeletons, once intent on sinking their teeth into some Magical Girl legs, stopped dead in their tracks. "Befolgt meine Befehle!" The skeletons stepped in line. "Gut! Nun, vernichtet eure alte Herrin!"

Hyun couldn't believe her eyes: The familiars which, just seconds ago, were trying with all their might to kill her, were now fighting the Witch that created them. "Amazing... how did you do that?"

Nanako grinned mischievously. "That's my magic: Charm. I can put anyone and anything under my spell if I want to. Of course, it takes a lot of energy, but it's quite useful once in a while." She looked back over to the Witch. "Don't worry, I started small, too. The least I can do as your Senpai here is to make things a bit less life-endangering the first few times around."

Most of the skeletons had been crushed by the Witch's arms already. Hyun was shaking like never before. She had to get in there and start fighting! If she didn't start now, Nanako would always have to drag her behind! But... she was scared. She clenched the hilt of her broadsword tightly, and charged.

Before the Witch could realize what was happening, at least ten of her Arms had been cut off. This was easy! So easy! Hyun felt like she was completely weightless, jumping as high as thirty meters and moving at incredible speeds like she was merely jogging. "Nanacchi! Being a Magical Girl is awesome!" In her excitement, Hyun didn't pay attention to the Witch and was slapped to the ground.

"Idiot!" As the Witch was trying to bring down her fist on Hyun, Nanako blocked with her halberd. "Don't get distracted! You goof up, you die! Capiche?" Hyun nodded. Nanako then proceeded to sever the arm she was holding back and cut the Witch in two in the same way as the last one.

As the labyrinth broke down, the two girls found themselves standing in the ruins of an old cannery.

"Seriously!", Nanako mocked Hyun, "If I hadn't been there, these familiars would've turned you into kebab or something!"

"Sorry, Nanacchi..." Hyun looked down.

Nanako smiled and stroked through Hyun's hair. "Don't be so down. It was a pretty hard Witch to begin with either way. I guess I must've been lucky in the beginning."

"You really are amazing, Nanako... And your magic! Just what did you wish for?", Hyun asked.

Nanako's expression darkened. "That's... Let's go to my place. I need some tea to calm my nerves for this story..."

* * *

That girl always sat in the corner at the back of the classroom, not talking to anyone, not doing anything at all unless called out for by the teacher. In time, any new arrivals in class learned to just ignore her. That girl, Himura Nanako, wasn't interested in getting to know them. She wasn't interested in being friends with them. All she ever did was sit there and stare at her desk. Every once in a while during breaks, a girl from another class that looked just like her, her twin sister, many Senpais would tell them, came and shared lunch with her. That was about the extent of her social life. And for a long time, Nanako was happy with just that.

Then her sister fell ill. The doctors said she'd take a long time to recover. Nanako seemed sadder and sadder with eachpassing day. It was not long before she tried to talk to people, to find friends to fill in the void her hospitalized sister had left. But over all these years of isolation, she had become shy. She stuttered and made awkward pauses. She quickly became the laughingstock of the entire class.

"I cannot go on like this! I... I...!"

All that changed the day she met Kyubey. As she was walking home, a long, fluffy white tail caught her attention. It belonged to a strange, cat-like creature which, to her surprise, was capable of human speech. "Himura Nanako, if I'm not mistaken?", it asked.

"What are you? How do you know my name... and for that matter: why can you speak?"

The being explained everything to her: about Witches, about Magical Girls... and the wish it would grant her if she formed a contract with it. And, foolish as she was, she carelessly jumped at the opportunity. "I want to be able to approach people! I want to be able to talk to them! If I could only convey my feelings properly, I wouldn't be so lonely!" That was her wish.

The next day, Nanako was like a completely different person. The shy and socially awkward girl from before was no more. In her place, a confident and likeable young woman had been born. Nanako certainly was happy at that time... Yes, happy...

* * *

One am. Most of the night guards were dozing off, and the cameras could easily be fooled with a bit of magic. Unnoticed by anyone, Haruka slipped into the Tanba HQ. Her target: the vault. It had been a few years since she last robbed a bank, but her muscle memory still worked: Stay by the walls to avoid the cameras, knock out some night guards from behind, put someone elses fingerprints on things that are likely to get touched by someone sneaking into a bank... It was really easy, getting someone else to pay for your crimes. And, according to what the Incubator had told her, it would help with her little "domestication" project...

Before long, she had reached the vault. After she opened up a hole in it with magic, making sure it seemed like someone welded through, she was inside.

"I'm coming for you... Hime..."

* * *

"Chol! Take a look at this over here!"

Chol Pak, who had recently joined the police force and was now an assistant detective, hurried over to his colleague Nakazawa Daiichi, who was standing by the wall. "I don't see anything. Stop fooling around!"

Nakazawa laughed. "Take the UV lamp and look again, Sherlock." In the light of UV rays, fingerprints became visible all over the walls. "Some of the powder we use for examining fingerprints must've gotten onto the walls. Lucky, wasn't it?" Most of the fingerprints matched those of the guards employed at the bank, but one set was found to belong to a man called Shigesato Hideo, a known and wanted member of the Tayama-Gumi. "Strange... the local Yakuza never did something like that before. Most of the cases involving them are about extortion and, very rarely, some clan war murders.", Nakazawa pondered.

Chol shrugged. "What's strange about criminals robbing a bank? Besides, since the economy's in the shitter, they're probably bleeding quite a lot of cash, too."

Nakazawa sighed. "You're right. I'm probably overthinking things... But be careful to not underthink cases, either."

Chol smiled. "Don't worry. If I was a bad fit for a detective, I wouldn't have been hired, after all."

* * *

Hyun felt like she was finally returning home after a long day in more ways than one this night. This had been her last day working as a waitress. And although she had grown quite fond of the chef, she never wanted to see that damned manager again!

While waiting to cross a street, she noticed a gloomy looking woman walking in the middle of the road. Was she... trying to commit suicide!? Hyun rushed in, almost getting hit by a truck, and tackled her out of harm's way. "What were you doing !?", she asked. The woman didn't respond. A strange mark was visible on her neck. Could it be that this was a Witch's doing?

The World around them began to distort. Damn! Hyun would have to fight this one alone. All around her, neon signs written in indiscernable letters began sprouting from the ground. Hyun transformed as quickly as she could, and just in time to avoud the first attack with a white, milky fluid the strange familiars flung at her. Where it hit the ground, new Familiars appeared. "Disgusting...", Hyun thought. No matter how many she cut down, there would always be five times as many to replace them. The only chance she had was to go for the Witch and ignore the Familiars, but she had no idea where her enemy was. More and more, the Familiars started to overwhelm her. But just as she was about to drown in them, most of them suddenly collapsed.

Clad in armor, her long, silky hair flowing down all the way to her waist, a Magical Girl stood before her. Her katana's blade was drenched in familiar blood. Was she the one who had saved Hyun? "Uhm..."

The girl smiled. "You're new to this, I assume?"

Hyun nodded. "Thank you for saving me!"

"No need for thanks. It's my job to help people, after all. Now then, shall we end this?" The girl ran past her, towards a flesh colored hill. She jumped and rammed her blade into the top, upon which the ground began to shake as something unearthly howled out in pain. Then, the labyrinth disappeared.

Hyun was completely out of breath. The girl who had saved her was eyeing the Grief Seed the Witch had left behind, until she remembered Hyun was there. She tossed the Grief Seed over to her. "Here. You need it more than me."

"Thanks, Miss...?"

"Oh", the girl laughed, "I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? My name is..."

"...Kusabe Hime."

* * *

 **Reminder: PMHM is on pause next week because finals are coming up for me.**


	4. Episode 4: Wasted Wish

**New update schedule: This Fanfiction will henceforth be released on Fridays.**

* * *

 **Episode 4: Wasted Wish**

"C'mon, Hyun! Where are we going? Shouldn't we rather go Witch hunting right now?" Hyun was leading Nanako through the mall they always used to go to after school.

"It's a surprise! Just follow me." Hyun was excited. She had just been a Magical Girl for a few days at this point, but she had already two friends she could depend on.

After Hime saved Hyun the day prior, she invited her over to her apartment for some tea and cake. It was there that Hyun told her about Nanako. Hime insisted on getting introduced to her and they agreed to meet at the KFC in the mall closest to Hyun's school.

As they approached the small fast food restaurant, Hyun could already see Hime sitting in the corner, as far away as possible from the other customers. Kentucky Fried Chicken was very popular in Japan, far more so than other fast food chains. Maybe it wasn't the ideal place to discuss secret Magical Girl matters, but it was a place they could both agree on, since Hime's apartment was very far off.

As Hyun and Nanako entered, Hime noticed them. "Over here, Chol-san!"

Hyun and Nanako sat down on the other side of her table. "Good afternoon, Kusabe-san."

Nanako raised an eyebrow. "So... you wanted me to meet this girl?"

Hyun nodded. "This is Kusabe Hime. She's a Magical Girl, too. I kinda got in a pinch yesterday evening and she saved my life."

"Nice to meet you, Himura-San." Hime extended her hand towards Nanako, warmly smiling. The two girls shook hands.

"I'm Nanako. Himura Nanako. Nice to meet'cha, Kusabe-san!" Surprisingly, the formal and reserved Hime and the impulsive, rough Nanako got along without any problems. "Kusabe-san", Nanako asked her after they ate, "Your school uniform... you're from that expensive private school, right? You must live in a big house and..."

"Not at all.", Hime answered, "I received a scholarship. I actually fit more into the middle class." She looked at them both. "There's... something I would like to ask you, actually. Would you be willing to form a team with me?"

"A team?" Hyun wasn't quite sure what she meant with that. Did she mean baseball or something?Her confusion must've been clearly visible on her face, as Nanako started laughing.

"Hyun-chan! She's talking about us joining to fight Witches together!"

Hyun's face turned bright red. "I-I knew that!"

After Nanako had calmed down, she took a deep breath. "Kusabe-san... I won't pry into your private life and ask about your wish, but would you be so kind as to tell us what kind of Magic you specialize in?"

Hime took a sip from her cola. "Alright, Himura-san. It may be disappointing, but I specialize in protective magic: I can barriers and shields. Also, I'm quite durable, so you won't really have to worry about me."

Nanako sat for a moment in deep thought, before grinning. "No problem with me! What'cha think, Hyun-chan?"

Hyun was surprised that her friend agreed so quickly, but nodded. "Yes, I don't have anything against it, either."

"Then, it's settled." Hime clapped her hands together. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

* * *

Menshikov High – One of the most prestigious high schools in all of Japan. Founded not even two decades ago, the children from many of Japan's wealthiest families have studied in these halls. And now, Haruka would join their ranks. Of course not as Nakajima Haruka. No, that alias of hers was registered at Kamisaki High, the public school of this city. Her enrolment in this institution required a new "person" to be born: Saiyonji Tenri.

For the second time in less than a week, she stood before a class full of new faces. She would remember none of them. Not their names, not their faces. Normal humans were just passers by to her. Nothing she needed to remember. However, she was searching for a face she recognized. Where was Kusabe Hime? This was her class, wasn't it?

"Saiyonji-san?" The teacher was getting worried. Right, she had to introduce herself.

"My name is Saiyonji Tenri. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She knew how to handle rich bastards like the ones in this class: Formality was of the utmost importance.

The teacher taking attendence confirmed her suspicion: Hime was absent. Did she ever attend school? ...It was not like it would've made a difference to her. A lead wasted...

During lunch break, Haruka decided that staying at school any longer wasn't going to achieve anything. But just as she was about to leave through the front gate, someone grabbed her by the sleeve.

"E-excuse me...", a shaking, female voice said, "You don't happen to be... a Magical Girl?"

Haruka turned around so fast she almost went spinning and tumbling to the ground. Behind her stood a tall, slender girl with blonde hair and deep blue eyes. "W-who are you!?"

The girl smiled. "Don't worry." She raised her hand to show the ring her Soul Gem had transformed into. Another Magical Girl? ...Kyubey did mention another girl had formed a pact the morning before Chol Hyun, but that Haruka would run into her here of all places... This school was for the privileged. How could anyone here have a wish they would sell their souls for?

"What's your name?", the girl asked.

"Na- I mean, Saiyonji Tenri." This was why Haruka always avoided having two aliases at once: confusing the names always led to trouble.

"That's a cool name! I am Menshikov Anastasia. Nice to meet you!" What was with this girl? So cheerful... well, she was new to this, after all...

"Can I help you with anything, Menshikov-san?", Haruka asked.

Anastasia blushed slightly. "Well, I-I just recently formed a contract and I... wanted to ask whether you would be willing to let me join you on your Witch hunts..."

Haruka sighed. How many times did she have to drag newbies behind her? Well, for a while, this girl could be useful. "Alright. I have an apartment not far from here. Come meet me there this evening around 8 pm." She wrote her addres on a small piece of paper and handed it to Anastasia. "If you come late, I'll leave without you."

Anastasia was filled with joy. "Don't worry! I'll be extra early!"

"Great." Haruka turned around again and left. She took a look at her ring. "I wonder... If it changes back..."

"...will my soul still be black?"

* * *

"Oi, Chol-san! Don't doze off! This meeting is important, and the fact Andou-san is still missing is bad enough!" Had Pak fallen asleep? They were supposed to have a meeting to discuss an upcoming raid on the Tayama-Gumi in response to the recent bank robbery.

"Sorry, Nakazawa-san! I'm just so bored. We've been stuck here for over an hour while Andou is who-knows-where."

Daiichi yawned. "Maybe you're right. But what can we do about it? We're just gonna have to deal with it and wait."

It turned out they didn't have to wait long at all: Detective Andou Noriko joined them about two minutes later. "Sorry. The guys from forensics wanted me to take a look at something concearning another case."

Chief Tachibana sighed. "Finally, everyone is present." He turned on the projector. "As you know, the prime suspect pertaining to the nightly theft of more than two hundred million Yen from the vault of the Tanba Bank HQ is a man called Shigesato Hideo, a member of the Tayama-Gumi." The projector changed images and started to show the blueprints of a building. "Our sources within that clan suggest that the Boss himself has stepped in for his protection. Presumably, he has found refuge within a night club called 'Nightingale', which is run by the Boss' son." The image changed again, showing a time table. "Tomorrow at 7:30 pm, you will perform a raid under participation of 30 armed officers. Splitting into forces of 11, Detective Chol will enter through the front door, Detective Nakazawa will enter through the back door and Detective Andou will secure the perimeter. Did you understand everything?" The three detectives nodded. "Good. In that case, you are dismissed."

* * *

A vase full of colorful flowers stood on the small table beside the hospital bed. The girl that occupied it had not opened her eyes for weeks now, and her vitals were faint. There was no doubt about it: This girl would never see the sky again; Her short life was close to withering. Her relatives had already accepted that, and moved on. All of them, except her twin sister...

She was the only one who cared. The only one still attached to this girl that was, in many ways, dead already. Only she: Nanako Himura. Daily, she visited and sat by her sister's side until the end of visiting hours. What no one knew, was that she was also the only reason that girl still clung to life. Even though her magic was not meant for healing, she strained herself every time she visited to ease her sister's pain. And every day, when she looked at her Soul Gem, it had grown darker...

* * *

 **Please point out any weird grammar or choice of words in this work. It will help to improve its quality :)**


	5. Episode 5: A Coin Has Two Sides

**Episode 5: A Coin Has Two Sides**

Everything went silent for a moment after Hime struck the Witch with her blade, before its upper torso – or at least what could be considered its upper torso – split from its lower body. "Wow, what a cakewalk!", Nanako remarked as the Labyrinth around them began to disappear. "Teaming up was an awesome idea!"

Hime smiled at her. "It has been quite a while since I've worked with a team, but everything is going quite well. If we are this strong together, we could even defeat a Walpurgisnacht!"

"Walpurgisnacht?", Hyun asked.

Hime transformed back into her school uniform. "Ah, right. You two haven't been Magical Girls for all too long, have you? A Walpurgisnacht, you see, is an agglomeration of Witches that have... fused together, in a way. They are the most powerful and destructive opponents we Magical Girls can face. So powerful, in fact, that they do not need to conceal themselves in Labyrinths. Normal humans still cannot see them, though, so the chaos they cause is often attributed to natural desasters."

Nanako was excited. "Really? Wow, I so wanna fight one of these things right now!"

Hime's expression darkened. "...Maybe you should consider cleaning your Soul Gem first, Himura-san. It has gotten quite dark, hasn't it?"

Hyun took a look at Nanako's Soul Gem. Hime was right. Its silvery color had taken on a rather dark shade. "Do you know what happens if a Magical Girl doesn't clean her Soul Gem regularly, Kusabe-san?"

Hime nodded. "If a Magical Girl uses up all her magical energy, she-"

"HIME!"

At this moment, a voice Hyun and Nanako were loosely familiar with sounded across the construction site they were in. A Magical Girl wearing what could be described as a ninja outfit was standing atop an excavator. "Oh, back so soon?", Hime mocked the girl, "Still haven't had enough after last week?"

"Shut up, bitch!" The girl charged at her with her chain sickles, but before she could reach Hime, Nanako blocked with her halberd.

"Oi, Nakajima-san!? What are you doin'!?" Nanako swung her halberd. Haruka was thrown back, but skillfully landed on her feet. Without a second of delay, she resumed her assault, trying to sidestep and duck under Nanako's halberd, but ended up running into the flat side of Hyun's broadsword.

"Do we really have to do this over and over again, Nakajima-san?", Hime asked. "You're only making it harder for yourself."

Haruka grid her teeth. "I see, you got yourself some guard dogs. I'll retreat for now, Hime, but you can bet your ass I'll be back!" The three girls were blinded by a flashing light, and once their sight returned, Haruka was gone.

"What was that all about?", Hyun asked as she transformed back.

"Well, that's a rather long and complicated story. Let's just say me and this girl did have our... differences... in the past. She has developed quite the grudge against me and has been chasing me all over Japan for quite some time now."

Hyun looked to where Haruka had been standing just a few seconds ago. "That girl... Nakajima-san... She looked sad, didn't she?"

Hime looked down. "To be honest... she went through a lot in the past, and I do sympathize with her a bit... But I obviously won't let her kill me just because I feel bad for her."

Hime's hair was blowing in the wind as she stared up at the glimmering skyline of Kamisaki. Just how long did Haruka intend to keep this up for?

* * *

"Okay. Three, two, one...go!" Pak gave the signal and three officers rammed the door in. The night club seemed worryingly empty. Pak took a few steps in.

Suddenly, a man yelled. "Fire!" Behind the counter of the bar, several men had been hiding, armed to the teeth. Bullets started flying, an officer was shot, blood splattered. Pak only got away unscathed by fleeing into the broom closet.

"Damnit, where's Nakazawa's unit!?" Shots continued being fired for about a minute, before the last thug surrendered. Two officers had been wounded, one of them badly, while one Yakuza had been hit in the head by a stray bullet and five more were injured. Daiichi's unit didn't respond, so they had no choice but to proceed on their own.

The second floor was surprisingly empty. One would've thought the Yakuza would have more guards stationed here, but then again, the point of this building was to make it look like a minor hideout at best.

Surprisingly, Daiichi's unit was already waiting in the hallway. "Nakazawa-san, what is the meaning of this!? You were supposed to sweep in from behind and pin them down!"

Daiichi grinned. "Chol-san... Why, do you think, is the Tayama-Gumi still operational?"

Cold sweat began oozing out of Pak's forehead. "You don't mean to say..."

"That's right", he continued, "because they pay us some good money. It's always unfortunate if... undesirable collegues find out about that. However, there is no reason for this to turn ugly. In fact, this situation could be... very profitable for you, Chol-san."

The Cop Drama Pak had always dreamed about suddenly turned into a Thriller. What was he to do? He couldn't possibly agree to such a shady deal, but then again, he was surrounded by enemies. Except for two of his officers, no one seemed shocked about what they just heard. He swallowed. "I'm terribly sorry, Nakazawa-san, but I cannot agree to this."

Daiichi put his hand to his forehead. "Are you dense, Chol-san? You don't really have another option here."

Pak smiled. "Oh, you're wrong, Nakazawa-san. There's one more option I have, but it's a bit of a gamble..." As fast as he could, Pak ran towards the next window and jumped out. The landing was rather hard, but he managed to get back up. He had to find Noriko! He had to bring Nakazawa's corruption to light! He had to-

A single shot was fired out of the nightclub's window and splattered Pak's brain onto the wall of the neighbouring building.

* * *

Haruka was lying on her bed. The apartment she was now staying in was big... Too big for her alone...

The last time she lived in an apartment this big, it was with Chihiro. How long had it been? She still remembered the day she met him, his warm smile as he stepped out of his plane, his hair disshevelled by the wind. He was the kind of man that had all the ladies after him, but he had only eyes for her. Maybe that was, taken strictly, a flaw, but it was one that allowed for one of the few happy periods of her life.

Marriage laws, at the time, were not as strict, so two years after their first meeting, they got married. They bought an apartment in Yokohama, close to where his parents lived. For a long time, the two of them led a pretty happy life.

Then came the war. Being a pilot for the Imperial Airforce, Chiohiro was sent to fight in China, and later on the Phillipines. Every day, Haruka clenched the shimmering stone that held her soul, hoping, praying for his safety. However, after years of war, after the bombs had been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, she finally admitted that her hope was but a mere delusion. She later found out that Sakakido Chihiro had lost his life in a kamikaze attack at some point in June 1943.

Haruka once again looked at her Soul Gem. "My soul... it is black... so why..." Tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Why am I still alive!?"

* * *

When Hyun came back home, it was already past midnight. She never knew Kamisaki was so filled with Witches.

In front of her door stood a police officer. "Excuse me, young lady, but are you Chol Hyun?"

Hyun nodded. What was this man doing here?

"I'm terribly sorry for bringing such sad news, but your father..."

"...has passed away."


End file.
